What the Future Holds
by BlackFire19
Summary: When Tetra meets Link at a Windfall festival, they are surprised by an uninvited visitor...  Rated T for violence and suggestive themes.


As she watched a small, red, dragon boat sail off into the sunset, she recalled the reason she was doing this in the first place. What am I doing? She thought to herself, I was made for the sea, not some landlubber. As the small vessel sailed off into the horizon, she thought of her younger days, where her mother was still around, commanding her 'minions' as she would joke.

But those were the old days, before darkness came bubbling out of the sea, seeking revenge for those who had sealed it under. Of those victims, her mother was the one of them, sucked into the churning waters off the Coast of Star Island. The Great Sea, once a fantasy paradise, had become a bleak, nasty mess, rain and the cold would pound their windows, hoping to draw them into their spiraling trap of destruction.

Of all things, she wouldn't have cared, besides the fact that shipping routes were less traveled, due to the danger of submarines and watchtowers. She would eventually overcome her mother's death, and laughed in its face, eluding it at every turn, every shadow, every nook and cranny anyone could conceive.

Only when Tetra did get so close to death's jaws that it would have a jarring impact. When she met Link, how he saved her, and showed her true identity. Of course she wouldn't let that get in her head too much, but the mere fact that she was the heir to the throne of Hyrule was enough to give anyone vertigo.

Now she was watching her savior sail off into the distant sea, not knowing where he would go next, perhaps beyond, perhaps to nowhere in particular. Why did she let him leave? That was one where they had sorted out on their own terms, but of all, they had an affair, fought, broke up, the generic relationship cycle. Tetra didn't really see much out of him, of course they would stay friends, but, nothing of the nitty gritty.

He had gone his own way, and now she would in a few days, set sail with her crew once more, exploring the great open sea. If they would meet again that was one to be decided by fate, or what was fate to begin with? The force that decided for them, or the forces of many converging into one, finalized ending?

The red speck on the horizon soon melded into the horizon, taking along with the sun, and bringing out the stars and the moon. Raven black, the sky stretching across for all eternity, eventually coming back to where it started and began all over again. The vastness of the world lay for Hylians to step foot on, explore the foggy shadows and corners where nobody ever dared to step on.

She saw the Hero of Time stretch across the sky, his sword and shield aimed at the beast in the neighboring constellations. Just rising into the sky was the Goddesses' triangle, set almost overhead. Din shining brightly with a red glow, dominating the sky telling that nothing is truly impossible. Nayru shone a sharp, stingy blue, reminding that mind is a strict matter, not to be tampered with. Farore, the soft, glowing white dot in the northeast told of the warm heart can be open to everyone and can be held by anyone.

Thinking about the Goddesses, she looked down on the back of her hand, marked with the Wisdom Triforce. Feeling the new knowledge that coursed throughout her mind, she led her crew with more determination, confidence, and certainty. Smiling to herself, she reflected on the times they had on the sea, nothing in their way, nothing to stop them. Soon they would do that again, venturing to the far corners of the world, waiting to see what new lands awaited.

Stretching her arms, she yawned, wandering down the meandering path. The great meal of meat pie, salmon, lobster, shrimp, and wine were still settling down in her stomach. Managing not to trip or fall in the black, inky night, she found her way to her pirate ship. Fortunately her crew had left the gangplank down, so she was able to board without waking the entire island.

Feeling her way blindly into her cabin, she lit the oil lamp, giving the room a warm, yellow glow. Undressing into her nightgown, she eyed the bamboo framed pictograph of her and Link, his firm grip wrapping around her waist, the both of them laughing in the summer sun.

Tetra paused, sat down, putting the pictograph in her lap. The thoughts of him sitting by her side were ebbing away into abyssal night. Speaking of night Tetra yawned again, it was getting extremely late, her clock read just before midnight. Setting the frame on her nightstand, she tucked herself in, and it took no effort whatsoever to get into a deep, peaceful sleep.

The festival of New Life was just around the corner, and she was of course was in the mood to go, unlike previous times where pirating and pig monsters kept her busy. It was her first time attending this festival, and the second time she'd been at one of the Seasonal Festivals, Link had bought her to the Long Nights one a few months back, where she what 'cold' actually was like in the far north.

Windfall was as packed, the islanders as well as tourists scurrying around, preparing for the big celebration in just a few days. The surreal feeling of the earth coming back to life from a cold, desolate sleep was one to bring smiles to even the grumpiest. Her pirate ship was docked in the port, but it was vastly dwarfed by some of the frigates and cruises docked along.

For a rare occasion she let her crew do as they please, as long as they don't get in too much trouble. She had to let her crew have their free time, or else they would turn into those robotic servants everyone was afraid of.

Tetra took in the sights of the newly decorated streets and houses, dressed in every color and shade imaginable, the place becoming a spectrum of the universe, the spirits and souls of the elated gathering here only for a few days. Often she stopped into a store or two, buy something from a vendor, and pay a visit to her Kokiri friends and Medli, talking, keeping up with their events and daily happenings.

That night she decided to attend the opening ceremony and probably crash somewhere on the island. Dusk came, and so did the people. Scores by the hundreds crowded the place, she was amazed that the island didn't overflow. Luckily she found a spot by Mako, who kept their spot as she went to by meals for the two of them. She went to the Kokiri's stand to by their famous 'Kokiri Fried Cuckoo' meals. (The Koroks turned back into Kokiris when Ganondorf's was killed). Fortunately the larger staffing of the vendor stands help speed up the line and she was made to order in less than a half-hour rather than the usual hour or so. Her order was taken in by Aspi, whom she order 2 meals.

"That'll be 40 rupees," Aspi did the adding quickly in her head.

Forty? She reached into her pocket, and pulled out a red and three blues. Only thirty-five rupees,she had foolishly spent the other seventy on souvenirs and collectibles.

"Umm…I only have thirty-five," Tetra said foolishly, trying to hide her cheapskate assumption.

"Oh that's all right, I'll give you a discount, we have enough already, I just need to take another order real quick, 'k?" The young Kokiri girl added quickly, chuckling, then began to take the next customer.

Clunk

She looked up quickly to see another blue rupee by her others. Looking around quickly, she didn't see anyone who would claim the rupee. Her eyes darted around, and despite feeling guilty, she moved the rupee closer to hers.

"Ok, I'm back, oh, I see you've got another blue rupee! Perfect! Your meal will be with you in a few seconds." Aspi took the rupees in, and moved behind the counter to prepare the food.

Soon enough the meals she had ordered were with her, but before she left Aspi added something else.

"Oh, I think there's someone you'd like to meet, he just went over there." She pointed in the direction toward the piers, before she was met with an onslaught of more orders. Moving through the masses, she thought she saw a glimpse of a green cap before it melded in with neighbors.

Thinking it was a mirage, but she decided to follow it anyway. It led her down to the docks, where it was really busy, the people pushing around carts, loading crates, and crewmen flirting with pretty girls. The air was still cool, winter hadn't let go of its full grasp yet this north, but it was comfortable nonetheless.

She turned and saw a young man in green, working the rigging on his simple, red boat. He seemed indifferent to the people around him, melding into the masses. However, not many people wore a green cap and tunic. Tetra was glued in her own tracks, not knowing how to react. Feelings of surprise, shock, remorse, and confusion pushed into her mind, not knowing what to trust.

Involuntarily she found herself walking towards him, her incentive as to receiving his attention. She had noticed that he had grown, much taller, his body build was also one that girls would fall for all day. She reached up, and tapped him on the shoulder. Link stopped, and turned, immediately he felt stupefied too, looking into his old friend's teal eyes.

"Umm…hello Link, did you drop off that rupee back at the stand?" Tetra asked quietly, looking at his battle worn face.

Link took the precaution not to anger the short tempered pirate, he quickly nodded, and tried to get back to work fixing the rudder.

"It's okay, thanks, umm...I don't have any money to pay you back, how can I?" Tetra tried to repay his act of kindness.

He shrugged, ever since their adventure together, he had changed from the volatile, impatient child to a more, humble swordsman. Looking up at the main stage, he pointed to an empty table, where his messenger and item pouches were. There was also a spare chair, for whoever he decided to bring along.

"That's too kind of you!" Tetra gave him her warm smile, a rarity seeing that her scowl was as common as green rupees in grass. "I'll go; my crew can take care of themselves, hopefully." her signature wink tickling Link's emotions.

Actually, Link was thinking if she would take care of herself too. For one instance, Tetra left his home one night so drunk she walked off into the woods, and the details were albeit deep when Link had to fetch her.

She followed Link as he led her to the table; a soft white cloth covered the oak while the small, wax candle added a hue of warmth and comfort. Even better it was placed only a few meters away from the main stage, a close up look at the podium.

"How did you get this table?" Tetra asked as she scooted herself in dangerously close to Link.

"Umm…" Link turned red, the last time they got this close together they had ended up kissing, he quickly explained that Makar, one of his closest friends, had a few reserved tables up near the stage, but he had no use for them because "Oh, that was nice of him." She commented, still waiting impatiently for the ceremony to start. "So, err, what have you been doing lately?"

Grinning to himself, he unbuckled his sword sheath and pulled the Golden Sword out from its sheath. She gasped, backing a good 5 meters away from the tip of the deadly weapon. He told her that the weapon was infused with a mystical, golden, power as mysterious as the legends of Hyrule were. He handed the sword to her. It was rather surprisingly light, the heaviest part being the hilt, encrusted with an emerald and rare strains of wood. He took it back and slid it back in its sheath.

The waiter was soon serving their food, and they tipped him generously before gawking at the gourmet food presented before them. She looked down at her plate, she hadn't seen food this gourmet since the raided a cruise boat, and that was five years ago.

"You shouldn't have!" Tetra said, almost humbled by the amount of luxury Link had.

Again he humbly looked down, overcome with pride, and smiled, and began digging into his pasta, eating as aggressively as he fights. In the meanwhile, she tried to fork her food with some dignity, avoiding the occasional bit of food flying at her.

"Umm….manners?" She chuckled again as Link looked up, sauce splattered all around his mouth. He picked up his napkin and wiped it off, he almost forgot that he was in the presence of _the_ heir of the Hylian throne.

"Oh, sorry." Link apologized, and resumed eating in a more…gentlemanly manner, shall we say? Of course the moment he started eating again the trumpets blared a short fanfare, and the mayor of Windfall stepped out onto the podium, to a roundhouse of applauds and cheers.

"Thank you, thank you!" The dark skinned mayor (not Obama) patiently waited for the riotous crowd to quiet down. "As you can see, the festival of New Life has already bought plenty of joyous hope, love, and success to look forward in the upcoming year. For over 25 years we have rejuvenated the citizens, gathered from all corners of the vast land. This week is no different, celebrating the reunion of the people, generating anew. " A small applause ebbed from the audience, "What I and previous mayors have witnessed in the days coming into the event was a sudden, immediate change in the people, and how they all get together to cement the foundation of the entire festival itself. This bonding within the people would last the rest of the year, before being bonded again at the next. I invite you to attend and support our vendors, help this bonding of us people become stronger, and more powerful. Now, without further ado, we may present the opening ceremony of the 25th New Life Festival!" Another round of clapping and he was off the stage.

The main torches were dimmed, leaving only the candlelight illuminating the tables. In this light Tetra looked stunning, the warm, yellow, flickering ambience on her hazelnut, smooth skin. Her light, goldenrod hair clinging to the sides of her face added to her beauty. Link kept that to himself, though he couldn't help but steal a few glances at his ex.

Suddenly a strong, thunderous roar from the chamber symphony erupted, and in perfect synchronization, fireworks shot out from behind the main stage, illuminating the night with their neon flashes of color. Sparklers and smoke set the stage for a new movement. Dancers, clad in their glittering uniforms, danced around the stage, twirling their batons, moving in unison, with one and another.

Holding their streamers, this also swayed across the stage, a high energy level output of this talented group of dancers. A stunning performance, also accompanied by an impressive orchestra piece, combined to make possibly one of the best performances Link or Tetra had ever seen. Suddenly the orchestra moved on to a slower, darker, mood, and the action abruptly stopped.

Suddenly a sole spotlight shone on the stage, a figure, garbed in a dark, musty cloak stepped out, wielding a large brush. At first his propose seemed unknown to the audience, but it would be revealed in the upcoming actions. It waved the brush, and simultaneously a flash of colors filled the stage, swirling around the unusual stencil. The brush moved around, swirls of colors, eddying and swirling at the mercy of the user, painted a vivid image of what the world was like before the Golden Goddesses.

The paint became a dank, brown color, matching its user's cloak. Projected before a stunned audience was a barren, dusty land, where nobody, nothing lived. It was a land that was retold in legends passed down through the generations. Dunes of sand, a wind of death, a merciless sun baking the earth to its core, it was a place no one wanted to reside.

Suddenly a flash of red, and furious strokes painted over the dunes, replacing them with mountains that carved into the sky, valleys that drove into the land, plains that stretched as far as the eye could see. The monstrous strength was to be reckoned by all. The red tipped brush, a sculptor, vigorously shaped the land with its hands.

All wasn't done, as the brush strokes tinted into a vivid hue of blue, and the artist began sweeping the strokes with sharper strokes and precision. What became of the vast, dry land was the touch of a new law, one that would define order and wisdom. The skies became dotted with clouds, against a bluish backdrop. Water-bearing thunderclouds filled the plains, turning them into frothy, endless sea.

Finally, the brush tip blurred, and melted into mossy green, the movements becoming much lighter and more elegant. With every stroke, new life would sprout up, being trees, insects, or even a shark, popping into existence and splashing into the expansive seas. Skies filled with birds of every color imaginable, life habituating onto every crook and cranny possible.

Eventually the artist was finished was his duty, raising his brush skyward and dissipating into a flash of pure energy. What it left behind took everyone's breath away, a painting, mountains shaped by the raw and pure power of Din, the skies and seas bringing law from Nayru's touch, and Life beckoned to the embrace of Farore.

A thunderous applause shook the entire island, and Link was worried that Windfall might tip over into the sea. The torches were lit again, one brighter than the others. Situated above the lighthouse, a flaming, green sphere signaled the beginning of the weeklong festival. He checked the large clock tower face. The ceremony had lasted much longer than he had expected, a few hours before moon high, he sat up, the food still settling in his stomach.

Tetra, on the other hand, was still quite ravenous after eating 2 platefuls of pasta and cuckoo. She wearily eyed Link as he stood up along with the others, stretching his sleeping muscles.

"Ready to turn in?" Tetra asked, and Link nodded. "That's all right, I am too." She stood up, placing a blue rupee tip on their dinner plate. Walking next to Link, they tried to move through the crowd of people. Eventually they turned up next to the main road, where they found themselves pressed up.

"So…umm…thanks for everything." Tetra tried to thank Link, who just simply nodded. She chuckled, looking at Link's warm smile. "So, I guess I'll have to go back to my ship, if I can find it!" Link laughed slightly at the thought.

"I'll see you tomorrow, right here, perhaps a few minutes 'fore noon?" She suggested, and Link agreed. They parted, going their separate ways for the night.

Link trudged the way through the people, most of them excited for what tomorrow would bring. Gradually he found his way back to the hotel he paused, and turned around. Right behind him was a bench, already occupied by a group of teenage friends, laughing and having a wonderful time. That wasn't what Link was looking for. That place was familiar, held a dear place in his heart. Suddenly it came to him, a tidal wave washing over the beach, expelling the relics that were once undersea.

It was where they first kissed, yes, Link now remembered that night vividly. He had taken her to a lavish café, for the afternoon, while the rest of the crew was busy stocking the ship with bombs, water, and food. Link was overly embarrassed that day, acting up, fidgeting, and toying with his food while Tetra rambled on about her wayward adventures before she met Link. Looking back, he had to admit he was a pretty bad boyfriend.

It was then when she put her hand on his and looked into his eyes and said, "C'mon, Link, tell me, what's bothering you?" He shook his head, trying to tell Tetra that nothing was really troubling him.

"Oh please!" She grabbed his arm and dragged him to the bench, and sat him down, plopping herself right next to him.

"Ok, tell me what's wrong, Link, you've been acting queer all day!" He looked into her sharp, blue eyes, reflecting her liquid personality. Tetra's face was mere centimeters away from his, and then suddenly her lips meshed into his, her warmth, passion, and love flowing into each other. She leaned into it, and then they separated. The couple only held the kiss for a few seconds, but when they broke off, Link tried his best to hide his madly flushing face. However, when he looked up, he saw her blushing too, so he smiled, and she smiled back.

"Hopefully that solved your problem."

Link snapped back from his flashback. 'Forget it Link.' He said to himself, 'You're never getting her back, you never truly loved her, and there was no reason to.' Shaking the thoughts from his mind, he made his way back to the hotel, moving along and with the crowd. Link remembered her face at the opening ceremony, she looked stunning, oh, and how he wanted to snuggle with her like they did only months ago….

He found himself in front of the Windfall Palace, the most expensive, but luxurious hotel in all the Great Sea. Fumbling around his pockets, he pulled out his pass card and showed to the bell boy standing outside the glass doors.

"Ah, Link, no need to show me that, all of us around here knows you and your green cap!" He laughed as he opened the door, "Have a great evening!" Link smiled to the bell boy as he stepped inside the stunning architecture of the lobby. Columns of bamboo supports gave the lobby a more forestry feel, and the plush, green carpet was themed to match with the seasons. He walked up the spiral stairs to his room on the third floor. Reaching in his pocket for the room key, he unlocked the door and stepped in.

At first he was amazed for 2 things, one, the maid had somehow cleaned up the horrid mess he made this morning while falling out of bed. Secondly, the large window had a perfect view of the stars, the moon, and the entire festival itself. He put his hat down on a chair and walked out onto the balcony. Taking in a large breath of the festive air, he felt a breeze run across his face, winding through his hair. He gazed out across the festival grounds, dotted with lanterns of green, yellow, blue, and red lined the vendors, which were closing up for the night.

He stepped back, leaving the window open, he undressed into his informal blue islander clothes, stretching and slipping in for the night.

Tetra walked down to the docks, people walking into their boats to retire for the night, but still she could hear the festive music echoing down the streets, creating an ambient, upbeat atmosphere. The night air was cooler down there, a crisp breeze coming in from the sea was the culprit, but not even that could really dampen the people's spirits.

The crystal clear water reflected a flawless image of the full, white moon overhead, illuminating the night. All around her she could hear the voices of elated, upbeat people, talking about the night's activities, namely the opening ceremony.

She found her pirate ship, nestled tightly between two frigates, still unloading their cargo that would empower the festival for the next week. Walking up the salt crusted gangplank, she almost felt something flicker in her heart, while she was replaying the day's events.

No. She thought to herself, I couldn't be possibly in love with him anymore, we broke up ages ago…taking the thought out of her head, she began to let sleepiness enclose around her. Ignoring the crew's lively chants and jeers, she wearily slipped into bed, not even caring to undress, and fell into a deep, restful sleep.

"What is taking that boy so long?" She wondered to herself as she waited patiently at the corner. Well, of course, he wasn't always a morning person, even at this late in the morning he still was quite a late riser unless he had something important. Now, this made Tetra angry, who in their right mind would think that this wasn't very important? Well, his green hat just popped up in the crowd, so she was going to get some firm answers.

"Where were you, but then of course, you did sleep in didn't you?" Tetra said in a matter-of-factly tone, and Link hung his head, sighing to himself. It actually turned out that his self-winded alarm clock had fallen and broke in the middle of the night (why? I have no clue….).

"It's all right," Tetra said, letting the words of forgiveness slip out of her throat. It was very rare that she would soulfully forgive someone of their misdoing, and it was well known that she instead would've slapped him upside the forehead.

Then out of the blue she snatched Link's hand and part led, part dragged him through the crowd to the closest minigame she could find: Archery, his favorite (sarcasm). He groaned, she knew she did it just to annoy him, but he swallowed his arrogance and began playing. He missed half of the targets his first try, but by some miracle of Nayru managed to get a perfect score the next turn.

Returning the favor he dragged her to the next minigame which included (surprise!) catapulting projectiles into jars of varying size. Tetra smiled, and took aim, hitting the smallest target almost every single time. Link looked on, his face trying to hide his jealously. The timer rung, Tetra's score was off the charts, breaking every record from previous years and setting a new one.

She winked at Link, and together they went to the most popular one, but the line moved quickly, and soon it was their turn. The game was using water cannons to shoot down moving targets, each cannon took a few seconds to use, and you competed with nine others. The two lined up next to each other, taking aim at their target.

The horn sounded, and the game began. Link immediately shot down the highest scoring target, while Tetra followed suit soon after. It became apparent after a minute what it would come down to. Coming down to a few seconds, Tetra was clinging on to a slim lead of 10 points, when Link hit a target to boost him to the lead. She tried to snatch the win, but instead due to the intense use, the water cannon backfired and 10 gallons of ice-cold water was sprayed in every direction, mostly at Tetra.

People in line gasped, backing away from the pool of muddy water accumulating at the feet of a very wet and cold and angry Tetra. She looked up at Link, who was laughing at the hilarious scene, soon, others began to join in. Eventually, she began to chuckle, then break out in all out laughter.

She looked up at Link's eyes piercing through his blond, matted hair and she smiled, grabbing his hand and helping herself up. For the first time she saw something she had never seen in him, his love, passion, strength, and mindset. It suddenly washed over, a tsunami over her emotions, and she found herself wrapping her arms around him.

Link was surprised, she had never hugged him before, not this close, not for that long, and he felt pretty guilty when he tried to push her off, but of course she didn't really mind. He stared lovingly into her blazing eyes, getting lost in his own affection for her. He drew himself closer, their faces only centimeters apart, and he drew in….

Of course the moment was ruined by a flashing, wave of fire, ash, wood, and other miscellaneous debris. Link was on the ground, the air knocked out of him. Catching his breath, he slowly tried to pull himself up. Through the foggy smoke he could make outlines, people, chaos, the ensuing terror was upon them. He made his way for higher ground, hoping to get away from whatever evil existed.

Eventually he broke away from the crowd, sprinting and heaving himself on a roof, his fingers clawing for a handheld. Dragging himself up the angle, he gained some balance, despite the regular shaking of the earth. He looked around, trying to find whatever caused the massive amount of destruction.

Through the dense flames, the thick smoke, and the chaotic massacre that consumed the island. He saw a mass, a blob, on the water, he couldn't see clearly, but whatever it was, it was obviously responsible for the mess. Deciding to make his way toward shore, he slinked around through the backside of the island, hoping to avoid artillery shells.

However, when he nearly turned the corner, a bone rattling explosion came from overhead, and Link had to quickly jump into the sea to avoid the massive oncoming storm of stone. When he surfaced, he clearly what had trashed the carnival. A massive pirate vessel, equipped with a frightening amount of guns, rockets, artillery. Its smoking batteries pounded the land, softening the defenses for invasion.

He spied his bobbling red boat anchored to the abandoned, burning pier. Climbing onto the ruined deck, he untied the rigging and prepared to set off. Using the back-up steam engine modifier Linebeck gave him, he silently set toward the ship. Ironically the seas were pretty calm today, and Link had to keep the steam engine on or use his sail and get noticed.

As he approached the titanic vessel, he felt something resonate on his hand. The Triforce of Courage was glowing, despite his distance from Tetra, the holder of the Wisdom Triforce. He had no time to think about the revelation, as his ship pulled up next to the ship. Looking up, he saw ropes and rigging hanging over head, and climbed up.

Wary of being noticed if he climbed onto the top deck, he swung over to the porthole, part sliding, part crashing his way into a cabin. Looking around, he saw he was in a seemingly bland stateroom, posters of a vast sea, not of water, but of sand, sun, and fire. Seeing that the ship was going to make landfall in little time, he exited the cabin.

The hallway was empty, the pounding of the cannons were the only things disturbing the peace. Making his way down the hall, he had an objective to take out the captain. Turning another corner, he spied a group of dark skinned pirates patrolling down the hall, but what really surprised him is that they were all….women.

Thankfully the group turned and headed the other way. His fortune was short-lived, as he felt a jarring vibration traveling through the ship. It had made landfall. Link decided to creep underneath the captain's cabin, the location revealed through the map posted throughout the ship's hallways. At long last he had made to the room directly underneath the captain's quarters.

A small trapdoor was overhead, and Link tensed himself to leap onto a barrel and push his way up and through the opening, and hopefully rid of the captain himself…or herself. Chinning, he sprinted, jumped onto the barrel and leaped through the trapdoor, rolling and immediately faced the she-captain.

A large cloak was wrapped around the body, rather long, but still enough to show her stunning body, but Link kept that at the back of his mind. He unsheathed his sword, readying his shield. She turned around, her face covered by a tan-colored shawl.

"Well well well…it seems you've evaded my crew, quite impressive considering you're a lowly islander." Her voice trailed off, "You must know what I'm after? Don't you?" At her words the Triforce piece in Link's had began to resonate.

"Ah, so it is true, you've used it quite wisely, but now, I have once again reunited all the pieces of the Triforce!" She manically laughed, twirling around, revealing her delicate, but battle scarred face, raising her hand, she revealed her own piece, the Power Triforce. Stepping out of the way, she uncovered the now unobstructed view into the cell.

Behind the chrome steel bars, he saw Tetra, lying on the floor unconscious. Link ran up to it kneeling and reached out to her. She seemed to sense him only a few centimeters away, she groaned, turned on her side.

"Link….no….she's…she….." Her voice trailed off as she fell unconscious again, her piece of the Triforce glowing softly on her forehand. Link turned to the mysterious assailant questioning her actions, her intention, her values.

"You don't know the scale of the success we could achieve if we worked in cooperation," Her voice thundered across the cabin, "You do want to see what the legends of old were conveying? Do you want to see the mighty land that had been cursed by the Goddesses, sent beneath the seas?" She took of her shawl, revealing her middle aged face, scarred form the battles of old.

"Do you know what I want, what we want? Do you understand?" She approached him, "So…will you join me….my son?"

What? This woman was not his mother, nope, nada, non. Link was taken back, his mind in turmoil, immediately stories his grandmother used to tell him whenever he asked about his parents.

"Your parents were great warriors, giving light wherever they went." Grandma told him, there was absolutely no way that the his loving mother had turned into the power hoarding pirate. "Your parents died fighting for a greater cause…" Her words echoed in his mind.

He shook head, overcome with emotion, he looked up at the pirate's face, no, no longer was she her mother, she was now his enemy. "Whi…wha…why?" The words escaped from his mouth, and his former mother smiled.

"Before your father and I lead the fateful attack on the Forsaken Fortress, Ganondorf had come to me in a dream, his words still stinging with power, 'Your desire is the same as my desire, if you promise me your allegiance and your knowledge, I will raise Hyrule and we will rule, side by side…' we led the attack, but Ganondorf's army stopped us short, and he came. I promised my service under him, but your father thought quite differently. I was out searching for the Triforce when he died, quite frankly I was surprised that you was the chosen hero from the Goddesses. Although however, the Power Triforce was passed on to me, and so fate connects us once again….so if you will not join me….that leaves me with no choice."

She unsheathed her dual blades, each as wide as a man's torso and quite as long. Swinging them with a style unfamiliar to Link, he replied by placing his right foot forward, and pulling his sword back, pointing it at the assailant, the Soresu form. She attacked first, moving in a flurry of blades before Link blocked it with an effortless movement, using his shield.

The Gerudo then swung a horizontal and a vertical slice, which Link ducked, but she followed up quickly with a roundhouse kick, knocking Link's shield from his reach. Turning back, he rolled around, performing a parry, but blocked by her large swords. He was at a disadvantage, one sword facing two larger ones, but his defensive technique prevented him from losing any more ground.

Her style was becoming evident, as she became frustrated with her lack of progress in the fight. The furious movement of her blades combined with the rage fueled by the Power Triforce was the Vaapad form, the most difficult and powerful technique. Even Link's mastery at the defensive form couldn't prevent him from backing toward the end of the room.

Taking a risk, Link decided to take on his best and favorite, form, Ataru. Jumping up, and twisting gracefully through the air, he miraculously avoided the sharp blades, and began his flurry of attacks, arcing through the air his swift blade was, exploiting holes in her well armed defense. His Courage Triforce gave him the energy needed to sustain his power, swiftness, and agility to keep his attacks running.

She put up a final stand, locking her dual blades against his. The metallic screech reverberated, and Link had a difficult time as he began to lose ground again. To add to his difficulties, her blade began to singe an orange glow, as if were about to burst into flames. Gritting against the intense heat, Link willed his courage into his sword, and it too turned a green tint, swirls of air and electricity swirling around the tip.

The elemental powers collided and the resulting blast threw them both back. Link hit the wall, and crumpled to the ground, slow to get up. His opponent heaved herself on her legs in no time, charging at Link already. He had no time to react as he rolled out of the way, springing up. They engaged again, but Link's superior skill in Ataru attacking her defense from all sides.

No longer was her furious slashes pushing him back as whenever she lunged at him, instead of quickly blocking, he parried, sweeping around, and regaining the upper hand. His concentration on his agility sparked on his sword, the heat from his opponent's fury no longer having an effect. They slowly circled, then their sword clashed in an endless embrace. Again she became frustrated, overusing her power against Link's superior speed. However this time her onslaught of attacks made it impossible for Link to counter, so he used Soresu again, blocking all her attacks, knocking them away or evading the slash.

Her anger gave in and a furious flurry of attacks caught him off guard, but he persevered through the heat of the battle, and eventually he found her flaw. A powerful overhead slash aimed its way at Link, but he glanced it away, twirled and plunged his sparking, gusting sword mercilessly into her heart. A blood curling scream escaped her throat as Link took the sword out of her chest, watching her die.

It was until then when Link's tiredness finally caught up to him, catching his breath, he walked over to his dying mother. She spat out blood, writhing in pain, through her blurred vision she could see the sparkle of a sword pointed at her neck.

"You…..have won…" She spat out, but Link, despite her being his mother, thought differently. "But…." She whispered, "The hate never leaves, does it?" Her body was consumed in a black aurora, the power Triforce gleaming predominantly now on her hand.

The blackness suddenly formed into a spear and it oriented itself at Link. He was too stunned and tired to move, as the evil embodiment passed through his body, its cold, icy fingers grasping at his soul. He could only faintly hear a shattering scream in the background.

It erupted from his back, and Link clutched his chest, and empty feeling digging itself in. Kneeling down, he could barely see what was going on around him, splotches dazzled his vision. Eventually he got himself onto his knees, only to observe the phenomenon before his eyes. The dark shadow was pooled on the floor, but it was reforming, he could already see its legs beginning to materialize, globs of matter attaching them in a fashion to create a humanoid body.

Realizing what it was, Link quickly drew his sword, and readied his shield. Immediately the figure lunged at Link, but he managed to stop him short, his shield was the only barrier between him, and his shadowy twin. Unbalancing his assailant from his shield, he got himself into his prepared stance, steeling himself for the next attack.

A blinding flash of purple accelerated toward Link, but he quickly sidestepped and countered, only to have his attack knocked away by the shield. The shadow, swifter than the eye and stronger than iron, began to pressure Link from all sides, but he managed through, a combination of shields and blocks. Getting him away from the prison chamber technique by forcing his way out, the shadow yet still managed to evade all of Link's attacks.

Link told himself to maintain a strong stance, not to get flustered or angry, for that would mean the end of him. Dark Link pointed his sword skyward, and it charged with an evil, beamlike energy that immediately found it hurling toward Link. Instinctively he knocked the evil energy back, but Dark Link had already evaded the anticipated attack.

Willing the force of the wind and the sky into his sword, the opponents of light and dark circled each other, waiting for one to attack. Dark Link lunged at him, an overhead strike, but Link quickly blocked using his shield, stunning Dark Link for a moment. Thrusting, he aimed for his vulnerable chest, but the edge only scraped his skin as he jumped away. A purple blood began leaking from the wound, but it only seemed to anger him only more.

Using the illusion of being wounded, he quickly sped at Link, charging forward in an attempt to throw him off balance, but Link jumped back and blocked with his sword. As he did the electricity and winds stored in his blade transferred into a large knock back, throwing Dark Link into the storage room with a tremendous explosion.

Cautiously moving toward the disaster scene, he readied his sword, preparing for retaliation. A bloodthirsty scream and five dark rings were hurled from the shadows, catching Link from surprise. The chains wrapped around his ankles, wrists, and neck. Struggling, the force knocked him into the opposite wall, the black locks latching onto the wall, and his sword and shield were flung away. A scratched and bruised Dark Link emerged from the rubble, retrieving his sword.

"No…Link!" Tetra screamed through the bars, watching helplessly as Link's death was being played out before her. Link tried with all his strength to pull himself from his own bonds, but it was all futile. The dark sword aimed at his chest was raised and then pulled down with great might.

Tetra couldn't look, she cowered herself into the fetal position. Tears began to stream down her cheeks, her chocked sobs.

"No…no….it's all over." She thought to herself, but then she willed herself to look at Link's dead body, but there was one problem, he wasn't dead.

She couldn't believe that the blade of pure evil was still barely a few centimeters from his heart, but despite Dark Link's best efforts the tip wouldn't move a bit closer. Link stared into his enemy's eyes his eyes glowing an sparkling emerald green, a barrier forming between the sword and himself. Link screamed in agony, the bonds breaking and a flash of pure light almost blinded her.

Link had retrieved his sword and shield, and prepared himself for the next phase of the battle. Dark Link reset his position, and lunged toward Link again. Link quickly parried, parried, and parried again, his fluid motions blocking his opponent's strong, blocky moves.

Suddenly taking the offensive he attacked without pause, taking on his Ataru from all possible angles. Slamming his sword into a blade lock, he quickly managed to knock his sword into an awkward position, and slammed the metallic surface into its torso. Without stopping he slammed his sword onto the enemy's brought up defense, and jabbed at his vulnerable arm.

The shadow managed to evade Link's thrust, and kicked Link down onto the ground. Link rolled, the blade hitting where his neck had been a moment before. Dark and quick, it darted toward Link, but he jumped up, regaining his balance and evening the playing field. Blocking the thrust with his shield, he turned shifting his weight off of his dark counter-part.

However, using his wit and determination, he anticipated where it was going to materialize next, and acted accordingly. Firmly planting his foot into the chest of his twin, he was knocked up and out, his weapon flinging through the air. As he fumbled helplessly in the air, Link quickly knocked his loose sword at him, he weapon of pure darkness turning against turning against its master.

Immediately a blast of purple and indigo showered the room, and Link took cover underneath a broken table, the rain dissolving on impact. A black mist spread across the floor, though posing no threat, it suddenly imploded upon itself, dissipating. A long shaft, its sword, lay protruding from its still beating heart, and Link slowly began to approach it.

A blood-gargling croak echoed throughout the room, as his shadow was killed by the only thing that could kill it, itself. Cautiously approaching the slowly disintegrating body, he looked into its bloodshot eyes, as it too melted into nothingness, revealing once again his mother. He looked down upon her, the bloodshot eyes, the blood slowly seeping from the wound inflicted.

Coughing up her own insides, she turned herself over, revealing that her chest was brutally cut open by the dark weapon. The bloody cuts, slashes, and gory burns were all beyond repair of even the Power Triforce.

Half talking, half sputtering, his mother managed to relay one last message to her son. "Link….you had…you had to know why I had to betray Hyrule…"

"No," Link said, raising his sword, "You betrayed yourself."

Tetra lay in a nondescript room in a regular wing in the island's only medical center. Bandages were neatly wrapped around her non-threatening wounds, as she had insisted earlier that others would take her place. Miraculously, nobody died during the entire incident, as the Gerudo had used thunder bombs to intimidate the people before marching in.

As soon as Link freed Tetra he had lit the entire ship, fusing the gun-powder to explode just minutes later. As soon as the Gerudo saw their once almighty ship go up in flames, they surrendered to the equally powerful Sea Knights, personally trained by Link and Orca themselves. Under high surveillance the festival resumed, and citizens kept a close eye out for danger.

The hospital was full of wounded people, and the doctors and practitioners were busy running around the wings, and occasionally a nurse would peek their head in and check on her, but of course she didn't humbly refused any care. She couldn't blame them, after all she IS the Queen of the Great Sea. Looking down out the window at another busy evening on the festival grounds, she observed the crowds pushing through the streets, guards standing at every corner.

Link was on guard, supervising the entire security system throughout the island. She had been told that he was commanding the guards in one of the four watch towers around Windfall. A knock on her door woke her from her thoughts, and she turned to see her nurse standing at the door.

"Miss Tetra, you have a visitor, would you like him in?" She asked her tenuously.

"Of course, let him in." She replied, and the nurse took off downstairs. Sitting up, she began to wonder whoever wanted to see her at this hour.

Another knock on the door and Link walked into her room. Tetra was quite surprised, she thought he was on around the clock duty, but he sat himself down next to her. He took off his sword and shield, setting them on the stool on the far wall.

"Oh! Link, I didn't expect you to come meet me, I thought you were running security, but maybe you just want to check on me right?" She asked.

"Yeah, pretty much." He simple, concise reply was, and he put his hand on her bandages, checking them to see if the wounds had healed. After peeling off the bandages, he saw that the wounds had completely healed, but dark scars were etched on her palms.

Looking at the scars she put herself down, "It looks ugly, doesn't it? You shouldn't have taken those bandages off, Link." Hiding her scars, she fruitlessly tried to rub them off.

"No, you'll always look beautiful to me." He kindly replied, and placed his lips on her cheek. She pulled back quickly, and they both quickly flushed to a deep shade of crimson.

"I..I'm sorry about that." Link quickly apologized, and stood up to leave.

"Wait, Link!" She shouted, "Don't be…so sorry. I mean….what I've been trying to tell you is that I…I…." She hesitated, and kicked herself for not being brave enough to spit out the words.

"You…you love me?" He finished for her; he let the words sink in for a moment, that she loved him. Ever since he first laid eyes on her through that telescope he always thought she had a neat spunk to her. A characteristic that made her different from the royal princess who's locked in the castle type of person, she was a real human, one who sailed the seas, who's felt true happiness run through her veins. Overcome, he sat down on the bed, next to Tetra.

"I…I know it's a lot to think and feel, please forgive me for that arrogant move." She said, but she never finished her sentence as her mouth was conformed to Link's. They held the kiss for a minute, their tongues meeting and twirling around each other's.

"But," She said, pushing off, "Why do you love me? I'm…I'm just another pirate."

"No, you're more than just that, you're my friend, someone who I can trust," He replied kissing her forehead, "It's just that, you know, feeling I have for you, that we were almost made for each other." He thought for a moment, for it was the most meaningful thing he said to her his entire life. Taking off his boots, he slipped in next to her, wrapping his assuring arms around her waist. He heard Tetra sigh, and they settled into a deep, restful sleep.

One year later

Link woke up to the clanging of loud bells, and rubbed his forehead as he slipped on his boots. It was now getting that his students were waking up earlier than he was, and he often relied on Orca to drag him out of dreamland. Stretching, he pulled himself up and prepared himself for the day's lesson. Stepping out into the Outset sun, summer had arrived earlier here than it usually had, and today it was relatively warm.

Stepping in front of the mirror he clipped on his 'Commander' badge, the second highest rank behind Orca's 'Sensei'. Leaving the house he approached the sparring grounds, where large wooden logs and a tall shaft of bamboo stood for the exercises. However today the students were in the classroom, studying various elements of sword fighting and many examples of styles sparring had to offer.

Orca had told him before to bring in a hornet's nest, a live hornet's nest, so he bought a cage and a bug net just in case. Looking up at the maple tree, he built a small fire below the buzzing nest, as so to calm the hornets with the smoke. Kicking the trunk, the nest wobbled, then fell, Link expertly catching it with the cage, and closed it shut.

Carrying the potentially threatening nest, Link nonchalantly walked into the classroom, where Orca was giving lessons on Ataru to the pupils. Despite the sight of the nest, the students chanted, "Good morning Link!" Link smiled back, looking at the boys, and the brave girl who sat in the front row.

Carefully setting the hornets' nest on the desk, Orca thanked Link, then continued with his lesson.

"Does anyone know what this is?" He asked, and a few hands shot up.

"Yes," He pointed at a one of the senior students.

"Sir that is a hornets' nest." He correctly answered, and questioned why Link had bought it in, and Orca replied, "Because that is the true power of Ataru. You see, a hornet swarm attacks in all directions, up, down, left right, their individual power is relatively weak, but if you strike correctly it will be a powerful ally. Now watch Link demonstrate on me."

The two moved to a wide, open area, and they looked on. Orca lunged at Link, but he expertly dodged, and landed a light hit on his side before he regained his stance. His teacher preformed powerful, dual hand strikes with his spear, but Link parried, jumping around his enemy, poking at all sides of the defense.

Eventually Orca purposely allowed an opening for Link, and he began to attack with fast, one-handed strikes that eventually knocked Orca down. Catching a breather, he pulled Orca up, and he quickly explained what Link had done and how to utilize the form correctly. Looking at the students, he remembered when he and Orca had gone to Windfall to recruit some members, some were only eight, and he vowed to himself that not one would fail to become a full grown, respected knight. If only he kept his vow to Tetra….

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts, and Link went to the door to see who it was. Looking out the peephole he couldn't see anyone, so he opened the door. Of course it was the tiny, mischievous pirate Niko.

"Sorry to interrupt your class, but may I borrow Link for a moment?" Niko looked at Orca who smiled, approving of his intentions. Niko then led him to the docking Pirate Ship. He obviously wasn't expecting the friendly and joyful crew to be visiting Outset, but then again, it had been a whole year since he had seen them…and Tetra. Looking up at the ship, Niko led him to the gangway.

"Our captain would like to meet with you, she is in her cabin." Niko pointed at the solitary window at the stern. Link was taken by surprise, and immediately projections of what would happen ran through his mind, would be she be happy, or feel betrayed? He trembled as he opened the door and walked downstairs, ignoring the rumpus of greetings from the crew.

He reached the door, and not hesitating he knocked on the door. A shuffling and muffled noise came from inside her room, before her calm words, "Come in." permitted his entrance.

Slowly opening the door, he nervously walked in. Tetra sat on a small stool, her room virtually unchanged since he had last seen it. She signaled for him to take a seat on a chair, facing directly at her. Link slowly sat down, unbuckling his sword and equipment and setting them on the floor. As he made eye contact with her, he noticed that something seemed…a little different about her, she was still the same height and all, but her build seemed different, her curves indicating in a way that she seemed more…mature.

"Listen I…" Link started, but Tetra stopped him,

"I know what you mean, I forgive you, I understand what you did." She assured him, but that didn't seem to affect him.

"I left you, that morning, I shouldn't be here, I…betrayed you, I broke our promise we had only made that night," He buried his head into his hands, "Go on, kick me, insult me! Do your worst! I don't care." Sobbing he wiped his eyes, "No, you don't understand, I was foolish, I have no heart, no passion, no love." He hid his tear stained face.

"That's because you have no one loving you…" She came up to him, her face only inches from his, "You wanted to hide your guilt that morning, you wanted to leave, leave the anguish you may have caused that night." She wrapped her arms around his limp torso.

"But you're wrong, it was certainly the best time of my entire life, and I spent it with you, Link." Her words echoed in his ear, and he finally realized the true meaning of the words, flowing into his mind like a stream undammed, becoming a wide, gushing stream. She loved him too, and lovers forgive each other, for their hearts couldn't be laid with a burden so heavy. He felt her grasp her hand, and looked up to see her melancholy beauty take him away again. Her simple, yet elegant body seemed to shift the all the weight on his heart off of him, and he smiled.

"I love you too."

He slowly moved in, kissing her lip, it was slow, gentle, and quick, as if they had did it for years. There was a long moment of silence following afterword, but Tetra was the first to speak.

"I have something to show you." The words were rather rushed, a dresser stuffed too violently, but Link comprehended the words, and she lifted his arm, motioning for him to stand. He led him to a small, plywood box, the top was left open, and a large pile of neatly laid blankets, and a small hill crested in the middle.

Link suddenly realized, and he backed away immediately, no, he didn't want to see, he didn't want to look at what he had done to her. Thinking about her words, did she forgive him? Or was it all a futile attempt to win him back? It was lose-lose either way, but Link steeled himself to look.

It was nothing like he had expected, a small, baby, a girl to be exact, her emerald green eyes looking into her loving mother. Tetra picked her up, and rocked her in her lap singing a slow lullaby, and she replied, cooing and before slipping into a heavenly sleep. She looked at Link, motioning for him to come. Slowly, she transferred the baby to him, it weighed a bit more than he expected, but he tried his best to keep it asleep, at the least.

Unfortunately the baby had noticed that her mother was no longer rocking, and she promptly woke up. However she didn't begin to wail or cry, or make any ruckus, she looked curiously into his eyes, recognizing the similarities between them, knowing that he was her father.

"Her name is Sarah, Link." She told him his daughter's name, and together, a couple, a family, they spent that night in each other's arms, forever.


End file.
